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the claim

A .50 caliber bullet passing near a person without hitting them can kill or injure them.

the verdict
CONTESTED PARTIAL
Recorded sources
1 source for · 1 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that a .50 caliber bullet passing near a person without hitting them can kill or injure them?

Partly. One source reports that .50 caliber bullets reach terminal velocities around 150 m/s, above the roughly 46-60 m/s needed to penetrate skin or skull, but this concerns falling bullets rather than a near-miss. Another source cites a MythBusters test that found no pressure-wave damage from a passing .50 BMG round, addressing only one proposed mechanism.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 1 source for, 1 against · Last checked

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 1
Can bullets fired into the air kill a person when they fall?
2011
Get citation
Can bullets fired into the air kill a person when they fall?. (2011). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/610/can-bullets-fired-into-the-air-kill-a-person-when-they-fall

Evidence against · 1
.50 cal bullets killing people without hitting them, via pressure wave or some other mechanism
2011
Get citation
.50 cal bullets killing people without hitting them, via pressure wave or some other mechanism. (2011). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/785/50-cal-bullets-killing-people-without-hitting-them-via-pressure-wave-or-some-o

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